THE LAST EXFEDlTlOxN OF CHARLES FllANCIS HALL. 7^7 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



THE LAST EXPEDITION OF CHARLES FRANCIS HALL. 



Charles Francis Hall.— His second Expedition.— His last Expedition.— The Polaris.— Officers 

 and Crew.— Setting out.— A slight Dispute.— Off for the Pole —Hall's farewell Dispatch. 

 — The next Tidings. — The rescued Nineteen. — Their Story. — Voyage to the highest 

 Latitudes.— Taking up Winter Quarters.— Hall's last Sledge Journey.— His last Dispatch. 

 — The Return to the Polaris. — Sickness and Death of Hall. — Buddington takes Command. 

 — Winter in the Ice.— Aspects of the Region.— Accident to the Polaris.— A Boat Expedi- 

 tion.— Starting for Home.— The Polaris in Peril.— Taking to the Ice.— The Separation. — 

 The Parting on the Ice.— Herron's Jourmil.— October : Abandoned.— A Fortnight's Wait- 

 ing. — November: Trying for the Shore. — A Godsend.— Arausements.—Beginning to Drift. 

 — Killing the Dogs — A Thanksgiving Dinner. — December: Adrift.— Eating Seal Skin, and 

 Fox Meat.— Game in the wrong Place. — A Christmas Dinner.— January : Unpleasant New 

 Year's. — Drifting Southward. — Another Godsend. — A Sight of the Sun. — Drifting on. — 

 February: Snow Storms. — Narwhals and Seals. — Piles of Ice. — A Sight of Land. — Oflf 

 from the Sealing Ground. — Provisions Short. — Ehierbing the main Stay. — Dovekies. — 

 March: Seals, Birds, and Icebergs. — The Floe Splitting. — On a Fragment. — More God- 

 sends. — The first Day of Spring — Launching the Boat. — More Seals. — Rate of Drift. — 

 Floe wearing away. — April : Taking to the Boat. — lee and "Water. — Repairing the Boat. — 

 Plenty of Seals. — Floe breaking up. — A Struggle for Existence. — Ebierbing and Hans to 

 the Rescue. — A fearful Night. — Six Months adrift. — Stealing Food. — On short Allowance. 

 — Thoughts of Cannibalism. — A Seal and three more Meals certain. — A dainty Repast — 

 Swept over by the Sea. — The last ten Days. — Length of the Drift. — A hungry Bear and 

 hungrier Men. — A desperate Risk — Seals again. — In fresh Peril. — A Steamer in Sight. — 

 The Steamer Disappears. — Another Steamer in Sight. — Hopes and Fears. — The last Entry 

 in Herron's Journal. — The Fog lifts. — The Tigress. — Saved at Last. — Wonders of the 

 Drift. — Ebierbing the Hero. — Conduct of the Men. — Proposed Searches for the Polaris. 



IN 1859, at a meeting of the New York Geographical Society, held in honor of 

 Dr. Kane, a plain blunt man introduced himself to the President with the words, 

 "I want to go and find the bones of Sir John Franklin." In a rather he.^tating 

 manner he proceeded to explain the plan which he had conceived in hi.s Western 

 home. Something in the manner of the man won the confidence of Henry Grinnell, 

 and the result was that a scanty outfit was provided, and Charles Francis Hall set out 

 on his first expedition, which has already been described in these pages. 



I first saw Hall immediately upon his return from this expedition. He brought 

 his journal and notes to a publishing house for which I was acting as literary adviser, 

 wishing to have them published. I saw at once that they were of unusual interest, 

 and had no hesitation in advising that they should be prepared for the press ; and 

 while this was in course of execution, I saw Hall almost every day. Many of the 

 very best portions of the book were exact copies of his original memoranda, written 

 in an Esquimaux snow hut, with pencil, because ink could not be kept unfrozen. 



